However, on this occasion Narine’s role as an opening batsman did the damage.

Narine struck 79 off 45 deliveries with six fours and five sixes, as the Knight Riders got to 155 for eight in 19.1 overs to earn their fourth win of the tournament and remain on top of the standings. Earlier, the Tridents posted 152/9 in 20 overs.

Narine has been successful in his new role as an opener in T20 cricket. In the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) Narine scored the joint fastest 50 in IPL history off 15 balls. Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan also struck a half century off 15 balls.

Narine’s innings at the Oval on Saturday was equally aggressive, as he led TKR from the front with an impressive display of stroke making.

After losing the Kiwi pair of Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro for four and five respectively, Narine and Darren Bravo restored the innings with a 47-run third wicket partnership. Bravo settled quickly flicking a delivery for four off fast bowler Shamar Springer, before Narine pulled one for six.

It was Narine’s night as the lefthander was dropped numerous times. After Narine was dropped off Wahab Riaz at deep square leg, Bravo failed to handle a bouncer from Riaz and was caught by wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran for 25.

Kieron Pollard silenced the crowd when Denesh Ramdin was caught at long on by Shaoib Malik for just one to leave TKR in a spot of bother on 76/4 in the 11th over.

TKR captain Dwayne Bravo joined Narine and played a solid knock as the pair avoided any further collapse.

After hitting Malik for a six over long on, Narine brought up his 50 with a single which was appreciated by the lively crowd.

Pollard conceded 17 runs in the 13th over with Bravo hitting a four and Narine lashing one four and one six both on the leg side.

The Tridents did not help their cause with some poor fielding.

Christopher Barnwell was one of the guilty parties dropping both Narine and Bravo in back-to-back overs.

With victory in sight at 139/4 in the 17th over, TKR lost their way losing four wickets for 12 runs to leave the score on 151/8 after 19 overs. Dwayne Bravo (18), Shadab Khan (duck), Javon Searles (nine) and Narine (79) all fell in quick succession.

Kevon Cooper avoided any further drama with a four through point to bring home the victory with five balls to spare. Wayne Parnell finished with figures of 4-0-26- 2, while Shamar Springer was the top bowler for the Tridents ending with 4-0-32-3.

Earlier, the Tridents were off to a flying start with Dwayne Smith belting a six and a four in the first over. However, left-arm spinner Khary Pierre got his revenge as Darren held on to a catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Smith for 10 to leave the score on 12/1 after one over. It was soon 19/2 when Mc- Cullum took a good catch at short cover off Ronsford Beaton.

A solid, but watchful partnership between Malik and Kane Williamson guided Tridents to 86/2 after 11 overs. Khan continued his brilliant tournament as he dismissed Williamson for 30 when he was caught by Narine.

Surprisingly, the scoring slowed tremendously when Pollard came to the middle as the Tridents captain struggled to get on top of the TKR bowlers. When Beaton dismissed Malik for 51 off 38 balls (five fours) Tridents were 105/4 off 16 overs and in need of some runs.

Pooran gave the innings some impetus scoring 18 off six balls, while Akeal Hosein cracked 12 from three deliveries.

However, Pollard never got going as he was dismissed off the final ball of the innings for 14 off 22 balls by Dwayne Bravo.

Beaton had his best match of the tournament ending with figures of 4-0-24-2, while Dwayne Bravo finished with 2-0-27-2.

Tonight, Knight Riders will play St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Queen’s Park Oval from eight o’clock.

The quartet of Lalonde Gordon, who ran the anchor leg, Machel Cedenio, Jereem Richards and Jarrin Solomon stunned the heavily favoured US men’s team to snatch gold in the Men’s 4x400M finals.

Contacted minutes after the race shortly after 4 am, Minister Smith said that on behalf of the government, he was extending deepest congratulations to the team.

“It was an excellent race, I think it was well deserved. The team has worked hard to come from where they came from.” With the mighty Jamaicans not qualifying and no other Caribbean island in the final, the onus was on Trinidad and Tobago to bring pride to the region and they did not disappoint.

“I am very, very happy.

We are happy, the Prime Minister is happy and we wish all the other athletes the best of luck,” Smith said.

The minister would not comment on what rewards would be considered for the team, but TTOC President Lewis was not shy on that issue. It is no secret the TTOC has recently come under much scrutiny and criticism because of the performance of TT athletes on the world stage and Lewis made sure to highlight hardships the committee had to face to get the athletes to where they are.

“I hope Trinidad and Tobago realize that sports is like that.

There will be good days and there will be bad days. Last year we were criticized but only a year later, the country is in a joyous and rapturous mood. It is the same committee now being praised a year later,” Lewis said.

Asked about rewards for the team, Lewis was adamant.

“Everyone wants to ask about rewards but nobody wanted to help with preparations, and now everybody wants to talk about reward? I don’t know what rewards would be in store because we were struggling to get funding to properly prepare these athletes.” Lewis said despite his feelings on the love/hate relationship the TT public has with the TTOC, he would not vent too much since he does not want his thoughts to overshadow the undeniable, unbelievable achievement of the athletes. He commended their performance which he described as gutsy.

He said the athletes really dug deep.

“I know the guys were hungry for it, they dug deep and had made up their mind to let it all out again in that race,” Lewis said.

“One has to take these things with dignity and grace, notwithstanding the challenges and of course the band wagon would now roll in, but I am glad that the athletes had an opportunity to bring the kind of glory that we deserve. It’s a great moment and I want to focus on the tremendous adversity, resilience, courage and guts of our athletes to overcome every obstacle to bring glory to Trinidad and Tobago.” “In all the gloom and doom, sports once again has painted a positive image of Trinidad and Tobago to the world and my heartiest congratulations go out to the boys,” Lewis said.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” is writ large on the Statue of Liberty in New York. Yet today, that idea of an open, liberal, inclusive nation is under serious challenge and from the highest of offices.

Putting aside for a moment Russian interference in last year’s presidential election process, the support that Obama’s successor Donald Trump today commands among some sections of the electorate is a sign that the more things change, the more they stay the same. So much for a “post-race” USA.

Trump’s initial failure to denounce, explicitly, the actions of white supremacists who gathered in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of confederate general Robert E Lee, has only served to worsen an atmosphere of dread and danger in the nation he presides over.

The vagueness of the president’s condemnation of the hateful violence (that saw one man plow into a crowd, murdering a woman in the process) is in stark contrast to his swift condemnation of video footage which emerged last November showing Richard Spencer crying out, “Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail our victory!” Back then, Trump minced no words.

“I disavow, and I condemn,” he said of alt-right neo-Nazi groups.

The President’s dangerous relaxation of his stance against racist entities comes mere weeks after he sought to unilaterally – and via a tweet – ban transgender persons from serving openly in the US military.

The move, coming after yet another failed attempt to dismantle key healthcare laws introduced by Obama, demonstrated the president’s determination to dismantle the policies of his predecessor, even if it involves sanctioning discrimination and undermining his own authority as commander-in-chief by going counter to the wishes of top members of the military.

We have good reason to be concerned by all these developments.

The US is home to millions of persons tied to the Caribbean diaspora.

It is estimated there are more than 400,000 Trinidadian Americans alone living in the US. Thousands of other nationals from other islands also reside there. And thousands more transit through the country, for work, business or vacation.

When an environment exists in which a white supremacist feels emboldened to commit what can only be described as a brazen act of terrorism, this is a direct threat to all who come into contact with that environment.

However, US law enforcement officials were swift to apprehend the culprit. He has been charged with second degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and failing to stop at “an accident that resulted in death”. But the relevance of all of this to us is not limited to the diaspora’s direct ties to the States.

After all, it was Martin Luther King who said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” America sets the tone among global superpowers and elsewhere and developments there have a direct impact on the social conditions of countries far and wide.

Furthermore, developments on US soil such as those over the weekend affect America’s credibility and its ability to influence other regimes with respect to human rights and comity.

If America is unable to heal its wounds and to bridge the gap between its warring sides, we all suffer.

And we will all be in store for more terror.

Little Messi drowned on July 16 during a family outing to the Boardwalk in Chaguaramas. At first, the family thought the toddler was abducted after Atiba said he turned his back for a minute, losing sight of the youngster. It was not until the following day, that Messi’s body was discovered floating in the waters off Pier I.

On Saturday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard gave instructions that Gorking be charged with manslaughter, a charge that has left Gorking’s family and friends confused. “He is the voice of the community, the upliftment for the community. He is a very good father, serious and strict.

He is very ambitious.

“When he realised his son had drowned, Atiba was in deep shock.

He stayed out there all night looking for him. It is unfortunate that this had to happen. He had to bury his son and now he has to deal with this,” a neighbour said when Newsday visited the family’s home at George Street in Port of Spain yesterday.

“That man real loved his little boy. I still don’t know how that child drowned. The water was shallow. We don’t know if some other children might have pushed him and he couldn’t get up. He was a real loving child,” said another neighbour, who declined to give his name. Messi’s mother Patrice Gibbs, said she is still trying to come to terms with her child’s death and now Atiba’s arrest. Gorking has been in custody for the past six days.

Asked about the charge, attorney Gerald Ramdeen said a person can be charged with manslaughter only on the basis where investigators have established criminal negligence.

“But,” Ramdeen said, “in a case of drowning I would find it quite difficult to see (how criminal negligence) is made out.” “Unless someone would have given evidence that this man allowed his child to go into the water, knowing the child was going into the water and did nothing about it…that is the only way I can see someone with the experience of Mr Gaspard instructing that such a charge be laid,” Ramdeen said.

“When you say you turned your back it means you negate knowledge of the act. This would have to be a case where the father was on the beach with his son and he saw his son going into the water and he did nothing while the child was going into the water. You have to get somebody to give that type of evidence.

“Or you would have to get somebody to give evidence that the child was in the water, experiencing difficulty and the father turned his back and walked away,” Ramdeen added.

Gorking is expected in court today.

The quartet of Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon brought joy to the hearts of the twin-island republic as they emerged victorious, over the highly-fancied United States and hosts Great Britain/Northern Ireland, in a time of two minutes 58.12 seconds – the fastest time in the world this year and a new TT record.

The 31-year-old American- born Solomon replaced Renny Quow – who was involved in the preliminary round on Saturday – for the first leg, and the member of the 2012 Olympic Games bronze medal 4x400m relay team had a steady run before handing off to Richards.

The 22-year-old Richards, bronze medallist at the World Champs on Thursday, had a magnificent second leg as TT moved up to second place, at the halfway point of the race.

Cedenio, the 21-year-old national quarter-mile champion, atoned for a sub-par showing in the men’s 400m days earlier, with a fine run as he managed to hold off Great Britain/Northern Ireland’s third leg runner Rabah Yousif to keep within touching distance of the US’ Michael Cherry. It looked almost a certainty at that time that TT will earn a medal, but what colour? Lalonde Gordon, double Olympic bronze medallist at the London venue five years ago, had it all to do but managed to keep pace with US’ Fred Kerley for most of the final leg.

However, with Kerley slowing up in the final 50 metres, the 28-year-old Gordon produced a burst of energy to overtake the American and seal the deal for the national foursome. The United States placed second in 2:58.61, with Great Britain/Northern Ireland third in 2:59.00. Belgium was fourth in 3:00.04, followed by Spain (3:00.65), Cuba (3:01.10), Poland (3:01.59) and France (3:01.79).

In a post-race interview, Cedenio said, “This means the world to everyone on the team.

We worked so hard throughout the year, everybody ran so good. We came out here to execute and that’s what we did.” Solomon admitted that he envisioned a medal for TT in this event.

“We talked about it before and we said we could win this,” Solomon noted. “Everybody (did) their part and we told Gordon, ‘stayed right on Kerley’s tail’, as we knew it would have come down to that. And he kicked past him.

“So it’s especially sweet for us this year because a lot of us were dealing with injuries and stuff this year,” Solomon continued.

“To come back here and get a gold medal and a national record to boot was a great way to cap it off. God is good.” Asked about the secret to the team’s success, Richards replied, “We had a really good prayer before the race. God really played a big part in this victory.

“For a while now, people have been saying Trinidad and Tobago is one of the teams who can upset the USA in the 4×4 and to actually achieve it right now, I don’t even believe it’s real right now. It’s just a great feeling.” Gordon confessed that he was still in shock over the team’s achievement. “I like to say I’m going for a top three (finish) because if you set your mind on one thing and you don’t get it, it’s like you’re letting yourself down. But I’m still in shock.” Richards, the double World Champs medallist, described his time in London as “wonderful.” He noted, “It’s one of my best achievement in track and field and, to bring gold to Trinidad and Tobago and having our Independence coming up (August 31), I want to say happy early Independence Day to Trinidad and Tobago and this medal is for you all.”

According to articles of incorporation, stamped June 29, the new tourism body for Trinidad will employ 50 persons and its main business activity will comprise “developing and marketing business, conference and meetings product of Port of Spain, the development of niche products, including culture, festivals and sports and the provision of business advisory services.” Out of the maximum of 13 directors which can be appointed to the company’s Board, only two were named in the document, the Ministry of Finance’s permanent secretary Lisa Phillips and acting director, social and economic transformation Yvette Babb. Junior Atwarie, a business analyst, was named as secretary.

This comes as TDC’s management team were served retrenchment letters last Thursday (August 10), followed by a meeting last Friday between the CWU and Stuart Young, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, to discuss jobs and non-payment of salaries for the remaining employees at the state enterprise.

50 NAMES Sources at the TDC said the company was set to close down today, with remaining employees given their termination notices.

It was also revealed the termination notices would give 45 days’ notice, ending on September 30 and staff would not be required to report for duty during this period, however, there will be ongoing discussions on separation packages, which are yet to be finalised.

At Friday’s meeting, the CWU representatives discussed the non-payment of salaries and sources said assurances were given that staff would be paid today.

The union also put forward a list of 50 names of TDC employees to be considered for employment in the new tourism company.

According to documents obtained by Newsday, proposed staffing of the Tourism Trinidad Destination Management Company Limited would be much smaller than the TDC which employed just over 120 persons.

Key departments outlined in the document include Investment and Tourism Business; Strategy and Marketing; Product Development and Visitor Experience and Finance and Administration.

The proposed executive would comprise of a Director of Tourism, Product Development and Destination Manager, Strategy and Marketing Manager and Research and Statistics Manager.

The document also outlined proposed salaries which range from $15,000 – $18,000 for managers and $9,000 – $12,000 for officers and $4,700 – $7,000 for associates in the various departments.

A considerable reduction from the present compensation packages at the TDC, where salaries for officers and specialists range from $17,000 – $24,000 per month, inclusive of benefits and allowances, with the basic package for a manager starting at $23,000 exclusive of allowances and benefits such as travelling and entertainment.

MANAGERS SENT HOME On Thursday, the TDC’s management team, with the exception of chief executive officer Cliff Hamilton, were handed retrenchment letters and effectively terminated from the company. The letters which thanked the recipients for their “loyalty, dedication and contribution”, stated that their services would no longer be required with immediate effect.

It also indicated that they would be paid the remuneration offered previously by the company in Release and Discharge Agreements dated June 30.

These agreements outlined individual compensation which included vacation leave, gratuity and ex-gratia payments. The letter also indicated that the retrenched managers would also be paid salaries to August 11.

According to sources, three managers did not sign the original Release and Discharge Agreement accepting the ex-gratia payment by the company, however they were also issued retrenchment letters.

ACTION FOR CONTEMPT On Wednesday, the CWU wrote to the registrar of the Industrial Court seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the TDC and its Board of Directors for its “neglect/failure/refusal” to honour the order of the industrial court and pay salaries. TDC’s interim CEO, legal manager, acting human resources manager and two senior accountants were also named in the document.

“To date the Company has failed and/or refused to pay salaries and wages for the month of July to the monthly and the fortnightly paid workers,” the letter stated. It also indicated on August 2, the union wrote the company calling for workers to be paid outstanding salaries by 4pm on August 4, however the salaries remain owing.

“In the circumstances and taking into consideration the urgency involved in treating with this instant matter, the union seeks the Court’s urgent intervention to bring about the legitimate relief to members of the workers affected by the Company’s action,” the letter, signed by CWU’s secretary general Clyde Elder, added.

In May, the Industrial Court ruled that any action related to termination “must cease and must never happen until that matter is heard properly before the court” and that it should ensure “the status quo remains the same until those talks (discussions) are exhausted and parties return to the court for direction”.

Police reported that shortly after 2 pm, two gunmen stormed Sammy’s Bar located at Mt Pleasant Road in Springvale and announced a robbery.

The gunmen ordered the Chinese national who at the time was operating a roulette machine, to hand over the money.

After the man handed over close to $20,000, the bandits ran out of the bar and escaped in a car.

Residents contacted Couva CID and Sgt Ali together with PCs Ramoutar, Balkissoon and Girwar responded.

After receiving information, they went to a house at St Margaret’s Village, Claxton Bay and arrested two men, aged 20 and 30.

They also recovered the firearm and ammunition which they believe was used in the robbery.

They remained in police custody up yesterday. In an unrelated incident, police arrested a man at Railway Road in Dow Village, California after he was seem holding a gun. Sgt Ali is investigating.

On Friday at about 2 am, Alliyah’s relatives were awakened by crackling sounds and realised their house at Fifth Company was on fire. After the occupants ran out of the burning house, a head count was done and both Alliyah and Gopaul who slept together, were unaccounted for. Alliyah, was a pupil of the Fifth Company Baptist primary School while Gopaul was a single mother of one.

Alliyah was expected to enter Standard Three in the new term next month. Princes Town Fire officers later discovered the skeletal remains amongst the debris. The fire left 13 relatives homeless, among them five are children. Tomorrow from 12 noon, the coffin will be taken to relatives’ home located on the same property for a viewing, following which, it will be taken to the St Mary’s Open Bible church. They will be buried at the Paynter Cemetery in Indian Walk, Moruga.

The child’s mother who is Gopaul’s sister Nicole Gopaul, 32, was not at home when the fire broke out. Nicole’s twin-sister Nikeisha Mitchell yesterday appealed for help on behalf of the family saying now only have they lost their loved-ones but also the house and all household materials.

“Some churches dropped off some stuff. We would like to get some assistance to build back. We are appealing for assistance so anybody who is willing to assist, please do so,” Mitchell said.

During her escape from the fire, Alliyah’s cousin Lexi Butcher, eight, suffered burns to her right arm while her mother Natalie Gopaul suffered cuts.

“Lexi has to go for dressing tomorrow (today).

She attends the St Michael Anglican Primary School. Everyone had already bought school supplies for the children and to lost everything and now go back and start over…it is very hard,” Mitchell said. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and investigations are continuing.

He was speaking at the graduation ceremony for participants of the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-Operative Studies’ “Empowering Communities through Education – The Laventille Project” held on Saturday at the Laventille Community Centre.

Hinds said he was hearing complaints that Government was not doing anything for young people and black people but pointed out that graduates of the project are, “only youth.” He also said such a programme would require Government support.

Hinds said they were living in “extremely seriously dangerously economic stringency” and Government was “struggling on a monthly basis to meet national commitments to you.” He said young people and black people are benefiting from the programme.

“So you see why I have to reject the suggestion that the Government has done nothing for young people and eh (sic) doing nothing for black people.” He said that regardless of what is happening their priority is to meet the needs of those who want to educate themselves and people would not be denied education and training for want of money.

He said the second priority, even if they cannot pay public servants’ salaries, is to provide benefits to those in need like senior citizens through the Social Development Ministry. “That is the best evidence of a Government that is determined to look after those who have needs in the society.” Hinds said the programme will bring the graduates personal benefit and their families, the community and the country will also benefit.

“Good things do happen in Laventille and you need not be afraid (to come here).” The programme is the first outreach problem by Cipriani Labour College to Laventille. For ten Saturdays, participants – 50 at the start and 41 at the end – received foundation teaching in the area of occupational safety and health and also an opportunity to move forward to the next level of certification with the college.

College chairman Dr Roosevelt Williams congratulated the participants on “staying the course” and noted that some of the participants had signed up for programmes at the college.

He said that it did not matter what qualifications one came with but what matters is what they leave with.

UNC public relations officer Anita Haynes noted that since the September 2015 General Elections, the nation has experienced escalating crime, an economy in shambles, significant job losses, cuts to education and a health care in crisis. “In the face of this abject failure, the Prime Minister has chosen to go on his seventh vacation,” Haynes claimed in a press release.

“The Prime Minister has left at a time when there are serious questions about Government’s handling of the procurement of vessels to service the sea bridge.

Instead of attempting to answer these questions, Dr Rowley apologized while still not accepting responsibility,” the release stated.

Haynes recalled that in one of his first speeches after being sworn-in as Prime Minister, Rowley stated emphatically that the “buck” stopped with him and as such, the nation must hold him ultimately responsible for this scandal particularly because of Rowley’s refusal to take decisive action.

“An apology before heading off on your seventh vacation and the second one in two weeks is unacceptable,” Haynes said adding, “It is clear that Rowley has no interest in representing the people of Trinidad and Tobago.” She said the country could not identify a single thing this Government has achieved after two years of being in charge and opined that no one was better off prior to the 2015 election.

“We have tightened our belts, we have adjusted our living expenses and still Rowley and his Cabinet are asking us, as a population, to do more while the Government vacations,” she stated.

Haynes noted that the population would soon begin to feel the effect of cuts to GATE as families would not be able to afford to send their children to school while government has yet to adequately explain how the means test would be implemented.

“In the face of all these cuts and the Government’s apparent mishandling of procurement procedures, they have yet to articulate a single item for revenue generation beyond taxes. They are devoid of ideas and have no plan to put us on a path to sustainable development. We must really ask, when is this Keith Rowley-led administration not on vacation.” “It is clear to the people of Trinidad and Tobago that this Government is incapable of leading this country, so they should heed the calls to seek a fresh mandate and call election now,” Haynes stated in the release.